If you’re sipping your specialty pumpkin spice latte, enveloping your home with the fragrance of your favorite fall-scented candle and merrily decorating with pumpkins, gourds and hay bales, it can only mean one thing: pumpkin season has officially arrived. The autumn season is so festive, cozy and exciting you likely want these feelings of indulgent bliss to seep into all parts of your life. If you share your home with a lovable pooch, chances are you want to treat him or her to all of the best the season has to offer too. Being surrounded by all things pumpkin, the fall-favorite gourd seems like the obvious choice for treating your canine, but is it healthy for dogs? Read on to learn the best ways to safely share autumn’s bounty with your favorite pet.
Dog Health Benefits of Partaking in Pumpkin
Many a seasoned pet parent is familiar with a specific and less-than-ideal reason to give pumpkin to a dog: relieving diarrhea. In fact, keeping a can of plain pumpkin in your pantry for emergency use is always a good idea. Rich in fiber, pumpkin is great for absorbing excess water in the intestinal tract and helps to firm up loose and runny stool. Topping or mixing anywhere between one to four tablespoons of canned pumpkin, depending on your pup’s size, into his or her’s daily meal can quickly provide relief. Beware that the type of pumpkin you buy for your dog makes a huge difference. Reach only for plain pumpkin and steer clear of canned pumpkin pie mix or any varieties with added salt, sugar and spices, as these additives could prove to be hazardous to your pup’s health.
Not only can pumpkin help with doggy diarrhea, but it is also helpful when facing the opposite health issue: constipation. Yes, adding a tablespoon or two of plain pumpkin to your pup’s food dish can also help make it easier for him or her to go when experiencing constipation.
Now that there’s been plenty of talk about bowel movements, you may like to hear other ways in which pumpkin can benefit your doggo’s health. Pumpkin can:
Aid in digestion
Give a bump to nutrition with added potassium, iron and vitamins A, C and E
Introduce important prebiotics into the digestive tract
There are many ways in which adding a bit of pumpkin to your pup’s diet can have a great, healthy impact. Like with all things, though, moderation is still key.
Enjoying Pumpkin in Moderation
Even with superfoods, too much of a good thing can begin to have an impact on health benefits and so goes the case with pumpkin. With its high-fiber content, pumpkin could potentially flood the body with too much fiber, making it difficult for your dog to absorb other important and much-needed nutrients and proteins required for a healthy diet. The gourd is also high in calories, meaning adding too much of this extra treat into your pup’s diet can pack on some extra pounds if you’re overfeeding. Remember to look for plain pumpkin without added salt or spices, as these can pose real health threats to dogs. Luckily, there are a number of dog-specific treats, foods and supplements on the market that make it easy to incorporate some fall goodness into your pup’s diet in a healthy and safe way.
Treat Your Pup To Pumpkin Goodies
Treat your doggo to a favorite flavor of the fall season with treats incorporating pumpkin as a main ingredient. These pumpkin and berry-flavored treats from Fruitables are a great low-calorie nibble perfect for use during training exercises. If you’re beginning to feel the Halloween spirit, treat your pooch to some festive morsels with these Pumpk’n Nutters treats from Bocce’s Bakery . The Stuffed Beef Shin Bone Chew from Barkworthies incorporates pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot to provide your pup with a touch of fall flavor.
Dog Food Featuring the Benefits of Pumpkin
Food featuring pumpkin as an ingredient can provide your doggy with some of the benefits of improved digestion. Check out this Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food from Acana , which is a great choice for smaller dogs with sensitivities to grains. You can even branch out and try something new, like a freeze-dried variety or even a food topper to add more fall flavor to every meal.
Supplementing Doggie Health With Pumpkin
Whether your pup could use a boost to his or her digestive health, some anal gland support or a bit of help with weight control, there’s no better time than the fall season to try out a pumpkin-infused supplement . Pumpkin-flavored Probiotic Bites from Zesty Paws rely on six different probiotics to get gut health in check. If your dog suffers from anal gland woes, the natural fiber from pumpkin seeds found in Glandex Anal Gland Support from Vetnique offers a solution. If an overall tummy tamer would be a great addition to your pup’s healthcare and diet routine, Pumpkin Patch Up Supplement Pouch from Weruva features pumpkin as the main ingredient to promote both weight control and a healthier digestive tract.
The bottom line is it’s safe to treat your favorite dog to some pumpkin-infused and -flavored treats this festive fall season. Whether a good, old-fashioned can of plain pumpkin is your go-to for a quick fix to an unexpected ailment or you spoil your pooch with a festive autumn-inspired treat, go ahead and delight in exploring all the ways you can let your pup in on your pumpkin obsession.